The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-11-14
made in foreign countries producsa
Farmers Institutes.

and managing estates have for man
years been held in various parts of tn
country, and have been productive o
good. During the past few years the.
have been conducted in more systo
matte manner than ever before, and thu
results were in all respects NOR
satisfactory. Probably the best serici
OF farmers Institutes ever held in thu
country were those conducted in Wis
consin during last winter. During The
coming winter institutes will be con
Quoted in no less than eighty-two town
In that state, the Legislatures having
made an appropriation to cover the ex
pense of them. A series of farmers
Institutes will also be held in Iowa
commencing about the second week II
December. Delegates from various
agricultural organizations in the stat,
met during the recent fair at De-
Moines and agreed to arrange for hold
ing a limited number of institutes IL
the towns that offer the best induce
ments in the form of money to pay OK
penses and accommodations to person.
who may attend. Applications shoule
be addressed to Fitch b. Stacy, secre
tary, Grnnel.
The usefulness of farmers institute
depends very largely on the way they
are conducted. Often much time il
wasted in forms and ceremonies. There
is a long address of welcome by thu
mayor or head man in the place and
response by the president of the insti
tute. These consume time and are o.
no practical value. An institute shouk
commence like days work on thu
farm at seeding-time-by coming right
down to business. The persons present
are presumed to be welcome or thel
would not be there. All pretty
speeches that do not pertain to the mat
tiers under consideration can be dis
pensed with. A brass band or glet
club is as much out of place at farm
ers' institute rs in harvest field or
thrashing-yard. A meeting Of farmer
called for the purpose Of acquiring in
formation should not be variety per-
Torrance. The desire for social pleas.
ures should not cause it to be convert.
ed into a picnic. A circus or minstrel
performance is all we'll enough in it.
way, but it does not enlighten farmer
on the way to secure large crop O.
potatoes or inform him how to keep his
apple orchard free from rabbits and
destructive insects.
There is always danger that polite.
ians, patent-right sharps, and persons
who have hobbies TO ride and axes to
grind, will seek to occupy the time a
farmers institute. They should b,
treated like book canvassers, lightning
rod contractors, and sewing-machine
agents They can be told to call some
fair day when the hall where the meet
ings are held is locked up. The most
successful farmers are not always the
best persons to conduct Institutes OF
even to read papers. A man may man
age farm admirably, but make com.
plete failure in managing farmers in.
stitute or making an address before one.
Many excellent farmers are bashfuli
others unaccustomed to writing essays
or speaking in public. They have val.
liable ideas. but il is hard for them to
communicate them to an audience OF
strangers. They are good mon to have
at an institute, and much valuable in
formation can be obtained from them
by judicious system OF questioning.
Many men not engaged In farming are
well versed in various departments OF
social economy. In almost every coun.
try in the world ministers have done
more to enlarge our knowledge of bees
than the members of any other profes.
sion.
There is generally disposition on
the part of the managers of farmers In.
stitutes to arrange for afiordlng in
structions on great variety OF subjects
In order to make the exercises inter-
esting and profitable to all that NAV be
present II is ordinarily the case that
quite too many topics are discussed. SO
short time is gwen to each that it Is
not treated with sufficient detail and
thoroughness. The instruction on it IL
of a general character, and resembles
that in an elementary text. book. This
is not what educated farmers of large
experience want. They desire to obtain
the information that only experts,
specialists, investigators, and expert
mentors have acquired. The exercises
of farmers institute rarely ever ex.
tend beyond week. and are generally
confined to four days. The whole
range of farm industries can not be
profitably considered in that time. The
consideration of one standard field
crop, one kind of live stock. one sort OF
fruit, and one subjected connected with
the business Of running farm 10
enough to engage the attention of an
institute that remains In session bui
four days. = Chicago Times.
A Tale of a fodder.